photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Kyle Graves winds up during the City Showdown on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at Hoglund Ballpark.

After nearly two full seasons at Barton Community College, former Free State Firebird Kyle Graves is committed to Pittsburg State to finish out his college career.

“I have a pretty good relationship with the head coach over there,” Graves said. “He recruited me during high school, and they’re a really good baseball team down there.”

Graves graduated from Free State in 2024, when the Firebirds finished third in the 6A state tournament. In his first year at Barton, Graves played in 54 games and had 48 hits with a .324 batting average. Graves has leveled up this season with 50 hits through 42 games and a .357 batting average.

The two years at Barton have allowed him to play right away and develop. Graves said going the junior-college route has helped him develop because of the in-game experience and training he got.

“I feel like my bat has gotten better against better pitching, and I’m seeing dudes that can operate in the low 90s every weekend, and they have good off speed stuff,” Graves said. “I’m really training my approach and at the ball skills have been increased a lot.”

When it came down to deciding where to finish his college career, winning mattered. Graves spent his high school career playing for a consistent state playoff team and has continued to be a part of winning teams at Barton.

“We’re a good team,” Graves said of Barton. “We’ve got a lot of talent, but we know how to be a really close-knit group. We just get to go to the field every day, get our work in, and have a great time doing it. And I think that really leads us to the success we have.”

Graves wants to continue winning at his next college stop. Pitt State is 34-8 this season and is on an eight-game winning streak. Last year, the team went 42-12 and made a super regional. Graves said it made a difference being able to “play winning games and playing meaningful baseball all the time.”

“They have a winning program, and they gave me a chance to play some meaningful baseball for the rest of my college career,” Graves said. “It was just a really good spot. And I love the atmosphere, the town and everything.”

Along with having graduated from Free State, Graves has family on the team. Ben, a senior, is an infielder and pitcher for the Firebirds and was a key contributor to Free State’s state title last year. The older Graves said it was awesome to see his little brother win the state championship.

“I was a little jealous that Benny got the state title before I did,” Graves said. “But I was really happy for him, really happy for the team, and glad they got one.”

Graves and the Barton baseball team will finish out the regular season this month and wrap up his junior college career. The last two years have prepared him to make an immediate impact on Pitt State. They made Graves mentally tougher, and he’s ready to finish his college career by contributing to a winning team.

“I feel like I can make an impact, even if I don’t get in the starting lineup right away,” Graves said. I can point things out if a scouting report is wrong, or if there’s a certain thing a pitcher is doing today. Mainly being a great teammate to those guys down there when I get there.”